A few months ago I got this top from Lulu*s. Although it looked pretty in the product shot on their website, I didn’t realize how flowy it was, or how much I really would love it. It’s a flattering shape and style, and is perfectly casual for daytime, or can easily get dressed up for […]
This top would have been my contribution to The Refashioners 2020 which has unfortunately but understandably been cancelled this year. I had already completed my project and wanted to share it with you all as (despite not being the most dramatic refashion ever) it really pushed me outside my sewing comfort zone and I'm hoping it might inspire some of you to give it a try too! Portia's yearly refashioning challenge started back in 2011 and carries an important message, encouraging sewers to look at fabric and clothing in a new light. I try to make careful choices when it comes to the fabric I use and how it has been produced. Despite turning away from fast fashion and making my own clothes I am aware that my fabric consumption has its own impact on the environment. One of the best ways to care for our planet and sew sustainably is to reuse and repurpose textiles which already exist. The theme for this year's challenge was planned to be 'use what you have' which felt a little more accessible to me as a newbie refashioner as you can use household items with large flat surface areas of fabric like bedding, curtains and tableware. I was still really daunted by this challenge. I've always thought I that the transformation challenge on The Great British Sewing Bee would be my downfall. When I cook I'm not the kind of cook who throws things in to a pan on instinct...I like a recipe! My creative brain just does not seem to think in that way. So I eased in to my first refashion by using a tablecloth. Despite being a flat piece of fabric I really tried my best to make the most of what the table cloth gave me; right down to using one of the loops of edge stitching as the loop for my button at the centre back neckline. In the spirit of 'use what you have' the covered button I had stashed away, salvaged from an old RTW top. When I moved to Dorking last summer I had a huge sort out and only brought with me things I thought I really needed so I didn't have any spare textiles asking to be refashioned. Instead I turned to eBay as my source of unwanted textiles. I've long been a fan and follower of the work of embroidery artists on Instagram like Tessa Perlow who embroiders on to existing garments to transform them into unique worn works of art. However, I've never been able to find the time or patience to do this kind of work myself. This project is sort of a cheats way of achieving a hand embroidered top, by using an already embroidered textile! I chose this tablecloth because I fell in love with the embroidery. I haven't found a single flaw in the beautiful symmetrical handwork. I felt kind of awful cutting in to it but focused on the fact that all that work is being appreciated and given another life. I loved the colours of it and that it was quite big and bold, plus the embroidered green border added another element to play with. But what really sold it to me was how the embroidery was arranged in clear quarter and semi-circular sections. I enjoyed figuring out how to place those to their best advantage on the top and use as much of the embroidery as possible. I'm really pleased with how it turned out. I think my favourite part is the back with those big arcs of floral embroidery meeting in the middle. I made the refashioning project feel a little more manageable to me by starting with a pattern rather than diving straight in to draping or cutting something from scratch. Baby steps! However, I did fully flex my pattern hacking muscles to make the design of the top much closer to my inspiration. Pinterest is still one of my favourite ways to collect inspiration for my sewing projects and over the last year or so I've pinned numerous boxy little tops with interesting details and style lines. The simplicity of the example below really grabbed me. I considered using the free tank tutorial from Fabrics-Store.com (they have a tonne of great resources, patterns and tutorials on their website FYI) but ultimately decided I did want a bit of shaping in the bust. I was torn between the Afternoon Lyra Tank and the Ashton Top from Helen's Closet. I ended up plumping for the Ashton because it seemed to have a lot of mileage in it with options for an all in one facing or bias faced neckline and all sorts of hacks popping up online. When I'm splashing out on a pattern I like to think I'm going to use it multiple times. I'm really pleased with my choice as I think the shaping and fit is great but I'll discuss the pattern more in depth in a future post as I have another hacked version of it to share with you! For reference I cut the size 6 B cup. To start with I extended the length of the shoulder seam a little to match the squarer shape of the inspiration garment. Then I drew a line straight down from the outer edge of the shoulder to the hem on both the front and back pattern pieces. I cut down these lines and attached the pieces I'd cut off the front and back together to create my new side panel pattern piece (after folding the bust dart out of the front piece and remembering to add seam allowances where necessary). I straightened off the top edge of the side panel and shortened it by 3" to create the stepped hem. I found this to be about as much as you would want to remove before you start seeing flesh above the waistband of a high waisted pair of trousers or skirt. The final thing I needed to do was to cut a strip of linen to fill in the centre back which I wanted to cut two separate panels for to make the most of the beautiful embroidered detail along the edges of the table cloth. I hemmed the top and bottom of this little infill, overlocked the long raw edges then topstitched it in place between the panels 3" up from the hem again. The infill finishes about 5" down from the neckline creating a sort of keyhole opening which fastens with a button at the nape. I'm really enjoying the combination of the modern cut of the top constructed with the more traditional embroidery. The weighty beautiful vintage linen turned out perfect for this style of top as it holds the structure nicely. I did have some scraps of white linen left over from my Wrap Top to use for the centre back and side panels but I actually only used it for the bias facing in the end. I'm so proud of myself for embracing this creative challenge and can't thank Portia enough for encouraging me to try something a little different. It has really pushed my creativity and construction knowledge and proved that I can do more than I think with my sewing. I'll definitely be looking at textiles differently in future and will make an effort to incorporate more refashioning into my sewing practice. I even feel like I might have the confidence to move on to something a little more challenging next time!
I owe a huge hug of gratitude to Kathleen at Grosgrain Fabulous. She posted 30 days of sweater embellishments on her blog. In those tutorials she took the most ho-hum sweaters from Goodwill and turned
Customisation, réemploi, recyclage, upcycling: qu'est ce que c'est et quel type de créations textiles sont réalisées?
This top would have been my contribution to The Refashioners 2020 which has unfortunately but understandably been cancelled this year. I had already completed my project and wanted to share it with you all as (despite not being the most dramatic refashion ever) it really pushed me outside my sewing comfort zone and I'm hoping it might inspire some of you to give it a try too! Portia's yearly refashioning challenge started back in 2011 and carries an important message, encouraging sewers to look at fabric and clothing in a new light. I try to make careful choices when it comes to the fabric I use and how it has been produced. Despite turning away from fast fashion and making my own clothes I am aware that my fabric consumption has its own impact on the environment. One of the best ways to care for our planet and sew sustainably is to reuse and repurpose textiles which already exist. The theme for this year's challenge was planned to be 'use what you have' which felt a little more accessible to me as a newbie refashioner as you can use household items with large flat surface areas of fabric like bedding, curtains and tableware. I was still really daunted by this challenge. I've always thought I that the transformation challenge on The Great British Sewing Bee would be my downfall. When I cook I'm not the kind of cook who throws things in to a pan on instinct...I like a recipe! My creative brain just does not seem to think in that way. So I eased in to my first refashion by using a tablecloth. Despite being a flat piece of fabric I really tried my best to make the most of what the table cloth gave me; right down to using one of the loops of edge stitching as the loop for my button at the centre back neckline. In the spirit of 'use what you have' the covered button I had stashed away, salvaged from an old RTW top. When I moved to Dorking last summer I had a huge sort out and only brought with me things I thought I really needed so I didn't have any spare textiles asking to be refashioned. Instead I turned to eBay as my source of unwanted textiles. I've long been a fan and follower of the work of embroidery artists on Instagram like Tessa Perlow who embroiders on to existing garments to transform them into unique worn works of art. However, I've never been able to find the time or patience to do this kind of work myself. This project is sort of a cheats way of achieving a hand embroidered top, by using an already embroidered textile! I chose this tablecloth because I fell in love with the embroidery. I haven't found a single flaw in the beautiful symmetrical handwork. I felt kind of awful cutting in to it but focused on the fact that all that work is being appreciated and given another life. I loved the colours of it and that it was quite big and bold, plus the embroidered green border added another element to play with. But what really sold it to me was how the embroidery was arranged in clear quarter and semi-circular sections. I enjoyed figuring out how to place those to their best advantage on the top and use as much of the embroidery as possible. I'm really pleased with how it turned out. I think my favourite part is the back with those big arcs of floral embroidery meeting in the middle. I made the refashioning project feel a little more manageable to me by starting with a pattern rather than diving straight in to draping or cutting something from scratch. Baby steps! However, I did fully flex my pattern hacking muscles to make the design of the top much closer to my inspiration. Pinterest is still one of my favourite ways to collect inspiration for my sewing projects and over the last year or so I've pinned numerous boxy little tops with interesting details and style lines. The simplicity of the example below really grabbed me. I considered using the free tank tutorial from Fabrics-Store.com (they have a tonne of great resources, patterns and tutorials on their website FYI) but ultimately decided I did want a bit of shaping in the bust. I was torn between the Afternoon Lyra Tank and the Ashton Top from Helen's Closet. I ended up plumping for the Ashton because it seemed to have a lot of mileage in it with options for an all in one facing or bias faced neckline and all sorts of hacks popping up online. When I'm splashing out on a pattern I like to think I'm going to use it multiple times. I'm really pleased with my choice as I think the shaping and fit is great but I'll discuss the pattern more in depth in a future post as I have another hacked version of it to share with you! For reference I cut the size 6 B cup. To start with I extended the length of the shoulder seam a little to match the squarer shape of the inspiration garment. Then I drew a line straight down from the outer edge of the shoulder to the hem on both the front and back pattern pieces. I cut down these lines and attached the pieces I'd cut off the front and back together to create my new side panel pattern piece (after folding the bust dart out of the front piece and remembering to add seam allowances where necessary). I straightened off the top edge of the side panel and shortened it by 3" to create the stepped hem. I found this to be about as much as you would want to remove before you start seeing flesh above the waistband of a high waisted pair of trousers or skirt. The final thing I needed to do was to cut a strip of linen to fill in the centre back which I wanted to cut two separate panels for to make the most of the beautiful embroidered detail along the edges of the table cloth. I hemmed the top and bottom of this little infill, overlocked the long raw edges then topstitched it in place between the panels 3" up from the hem again. The infill finishes about 5" down from the neckline creating a sort of keyhole opening which fastens with a button at the nape. I'm really enjoying the combination of the modern cut of the top constructed with the more traditional embroidery. The weighty beautiful vintage linen turned out perfect for this style of top as it holds the structure nicely. I did have some scraps of white linen left over from my Wrap Top to use for the centre back and side panels but I actually only used it for the bias facing in the end. I'm so proud of myself for embracing this creative challenge and can't thank Portia enough for encouraging me to try something a little different. It has really pushed my creativity and construction knowledge and proved that I can do more than I think with my sewing. I'll definitely be looking at textiles differently in future and will make an effort to incorporate more refashioning into my sewing practice. I even feel like I might have the confidence to move on to something a little more challenging next time!
12 Upcycled T-Shirt Ideas. There is something thrilling about taking something destined for Goodwill or a landfill and recreating it again.
Forget buying brand new clothes! Check out these DIY sewing ideas for refashioning clothes you may already own. You'll be sure to find a tutorial for a new dress, shirt or whatever you fancy!
Do you love the idea of DIY projects but are afraid to start? Here’s a super-fast, no-sew project for the nervous refashionista. W...
This idea is really simple, but I provide some tips and detailed methods to help you achieve a durable, beautiful outcome to cardigan conversion.
Book review of Stylish Remakes by Violette Room (Tuttle Publishing), refashion project and book giveaway - csews.com
DIY a thrift store men's button up shirt into a comfortable, relaxed tunic top.
Les auteurs: le collectif Compai est composé de Faith et Justina Blakeney, Anka Liavkovic et Ellen Schultz. Allez voir leur blog pour plus d'info! Le livre: Vous en avez assez de porter toujours la même forme de t-shirt, vous aimeriez recycler des...
Hi, so happy you decided to drop by. Okay, no small talk. Let's get right to the round up. It was a lot of work but I hope you think it was worth it. I tried to choose a variety of sew and no sew projects. Plus there is something for the whole family - sorry, except your hubbies. No offence guys. There just isn't anything out there. Back to the round up. Wondering why I wrote 45+ tutorials? You probably already know. I didn't. Why would someone write a number then plus. Don't they know how many links they included? I think I finally figured it out. Light bulb! The plus sign is for those blogs that have several t-shirt refashions on their site. Is that right? Oh well that's my guess. Now back to the round up. Sorry one more thing. The links to the original blogs are all listed at the end of the round up. 45+ T-shirt Refashion Tutorials Links to the projects. How To Make a Fashion T-Shirt Scarf http://www.inspirationrealisation.com/2011/04/bows-everywhere.html http://studio5.ksl.com/index.php?nid=61&sid=14428842&s_cid=E0002 http://postris.com/pin.aspx?pid=97186&p=1&by=repins&t=30&cat&rnk=0&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+repinly-diy-crafts+%28Repinly+DIY+%26+Crafts+Popular+Pins%29 http://mydiychat.com/diy-fashion/diy-shirt http://www.creatinglaura.com/2013/05/no-sew-t-shirt-bow-sleeves.html http://www.michaels.com/T-shirt-Tote-Bag/28924,default,pd.html http://wobisobi.blogspot.ca/2012/03/bow-t-shirt-diy.html?m=1 http://practicallyfunctional.com/diy-bleach-spray-shirt/ http://www.makeit-loveit.com/2012/02/turn-long-sleeves-to-short-with-bow-front.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+MakeItAndLoveIt+(Make+It+and+Love+It) http://chicenvelopements.wordpress.com/2013/01/05/an-easy-t-shirt-refashion/ http://endlesslyinspired.com/2014/02/10/reverse-applique-tutorial http://www.hernewleaf.com/2011/07/21/diy-banana-republic-braided-neck-tee-shirt/ http://www.feathersflights.com/2012/04/baby-shortall-from-adult-t-shirt.html http://www.itsalwaysautumn.com/2013/6/17/easy-upcycled-pajames-from-t-shirt-to-nightgown-in-15-minute.html http://www.happytogetherbyjess.com/2009/07/roses-and-ruffles-t-shirt-to-toddler.html http://www.makeit-loveit.com/2013/05/ombre-fringe-skirt-made-from-old-tshirts.html http://mbellishedyou.blogspot.ca/2010/08/when-i-was-in-utah-last-month-my-mom.html http://www.wholeliving.com/133536/recycled-craft-t-shirt-necklace http://www.starsforstreetlights.com/2012/04/diy-t-shirt-flower-dress.html http://fashion.onblog.at/en/fashion-diy-spice-up-your-t-shirt-with-puff-sleeves-and-a-braid#more-463 http://fashion.onblog.at/en/fashion-diy-tutorial-spice-up-a-t-shirt-with-flowers-from-lace-fabric http://fashion.onblog.at/en/diy-advent-18-spice-up-a-top-with-fabric-remnants http://meijosjoy.blogspot.ca/2012/07/easy-old-t-shirt-revamp-no-sew-2.html http://theforgestyle.blogspot.ca/2012/02/jersey-weave-sweatshirt-diy.html http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=411148.0#axzz2yje2Wtjn http://wobisobi.blogspot.ca/2013/03/no-sew-jewelled-haltert-shirt-diy.html http://wobisobi.blogspot.ca/2012/01/re-style54-five-minute-draped-vest-2.html http://wobisobi.blogspot.ca/2013/08/diy-wrap-skirt-from-t-shirt.html http://campclem.com/2013/07/08/stripey-shirt-says-buh-bye-blue-cue-the-scissors/ http://myhandcraftedhome.blogspot.ca/2011/07/embellished-girly-tees.html http://blog.sharpcrochethook.com/search/label/black%20edgings http://www.uberchicforcheap.com/2012/01/refashion-diy-color-block-tees.html http://blog.freepeople.com/2013/08/diy-dip-dye/ http://www.deliacreates.com/2011/08/braided-belt-tutorial.html http://madebyroo.com/?p=216 http://www.sweetcharli.com/2012/10/1-item-to-make-your-shirts-slightly.html http://www.sarahewhite.com/2012/03/14/how-to-lengthen-a-shirt-with-another-shirt/finished-shirt/ http://tearosehome.blogspot.ca/2009/10/t-shirt-makeover-and-more.html http://www.homeheartcraft.com/blog/diy-faux-beaded-top http://icandy-handmade.com/2011/03/mini-tut-x2-gossip-girl-inspired-lace.html http://jonag.typepad.com/stop_staring_and_start_se/2009/06/tshirt-twist.html http://www.trashtocouture.com/2012/07/diy-cutout-top-from-tank.html http://janetshouse.typepad.com/janets-house/2011/06/fun-summer-t-shirt-project.html http://www.repiny.com/pin-5195.html. Wow. That took a long time. I forgot just how much work can go into a round up. Maybe I am doing it all wrong. Maybe there is an easier way. If you know of one, I would greatly appreciate the advice. But for now, I am all done. Wait one more minute. Sorry. Not quite done. I would like to share two more things with you. First HERE is my t-shirt refashion. So check it out. And this post has been featured by several lovely bloggers. ********************************************************************************** Thank you Stacey for featuring my post. I am truly very grateful. I hope everyone checks out Stacey's blog and her blog hop HERE. ********************************************************************************** I am honored to have my post featured at Linda and Carols Party - What to do Weekends. To see the other featured posts please click HERE. ********************************************************************************** Thank you Sarah for featuring my blog post on Feature Friday. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. To see the other featured posts please click HERE. ********************************************************************************** Thank you Maz for featuring my blog post at your link up party, Crafting Along. To see the other two most clicked posts please click HERE. ********************************************************************************** If you would like to give one of these refashions a try, you will need an awesome pair of fabric scissors. By clicking on the scissor link and making a purchase I will be compensated with an itty bitty financial incentive which I would be ever so grateful. Thank you. Well thanks for stopping by. I hope you enjoyed your time with me. If you did, please feel free to share the love or opt to follow along on one of the social media platforms. LET'S CONNECT Share on facebookShare on twitterShare on google_followShare on pinterest SHARE THE LOVE Share on twitterShare on facebookShare on google_plusone_shareShare on pinterest_shareMore Sharing Services36 Post a Comment I love to read your opinions and comments. It makes my day a little bit brighter. My apologies, all anonymous comments are deleted due to an excessive amount of spam. Wishing You a Wonderful Week.
Now is the time to weed out that closet and decide whether to donate, throw out, or refashion! You can give your clothes a makeover so you WILL wear them!
Boro is the age old Japanese art of mending textiles and is literally translated as rags or scraps of cloth. As far back as the 17th century, peasants, merchants and artisans would patch up clothing…
I'm sure by now you have all heard of Pinterest. I finally joined and I am completely obsessed slightly addicted. It's so awesome to be able to put all the things you want to do right in one place! If you would like an invite just leave me a comment or shoot me an email at youngancrafty @ gmail.com. Warning: All future productivity may be lost Why am I rambling about Pinterest anyway? Because I found this shirt refashion by Made by Lex: And if you've been reading this blog for long you know that ruffles are my thing. I just love em! (See my ruffle stuff here, here and here) I was shopping at Target and found this shirt on clearance for $3. I immediately thought of this refashion. If I mess it up then no big deal, it's only $3, if I don't mess it up then I have a super cute shirt! And I must say that it turned out great!!! It's so comfy and perfect for summer! I have a serious problem. Ruffles... I can't get enough! Just like the tutorial, I didn't finish the sleeves. If you cut super straight then it's fine and this jersey/cotton type of fabric won't fray. Score on that! If you're looking for an easy refashion, find a long sleeve shirt and give this a try!! http://www.homestoriesatoz.com/
This refashion was inspired by this Madewell Distressed Denim Jacket. (It's on sale right now!) My mom bought it about a month ago, and I ended up really liking it. I had a denim jacket that I wanted to update and make trendier. I've had this jacket since my senior year of high school and it was my favorite denim jacket. It just needed a little sprinkling of refashion magic to be a closet favorite again. :) I am currently loving any distressed denim, and that was actually my favorite part of this refashion. When I attended FIDM, I attended some denim workshops and I got to learn all sorts of ways to distress denim. For this refashion, I just simply cut the denim and tugged and pulled at it to distress it. STEPS 1. I cut off the collar first. 2. Then, I tugged at it and pulled the threads to distress it. There was some interfacing (the white stuff inside the collar) in the collar, that I simply cut out. 3. To make the front yoke pieces, I traced the shape over some paper. 4. I cut out the front yoke pieces and left about 1/4"-1/2" left to be able to sew the new yoke pieces. Here's a close up. I also tugged at and pulled the threads so it would have that distressed look. 5. I pinned the new yoke pieces as shown, and sewed them on. 6. Next, I cut out the back yoke piece, once again leaving anywhere from 1/4"-1/2" trim in order to sew the new yoke. 7. I sewed three pieces of denim together (sewn at the pink dots) to make the new back yoke piece. Then, I pinned and sewed on the new yoke. 8. Since this jacket was fitted and I was going for a less fitted look, I cut open two back seams as shown. 9. I cut out two denim panels to insert into the jacket. 10. First, I hemmed the two panel pieces (as shown by the pink arrow). Then, I pinned and sewed the panels on. 11. Lastly, I just chopped off a little piece of the hem, tugged at it to distress it, and done! TA DA!
I’ve made a lot of sewing mistakes that made items sit in my wardrobe instead of being worn. Today I’m going to go in depth on what I learned about how to sew clothing I’ll love and clothing you’ll lo
Or maybe a little more than one hour depending on how many children you have begging for your attention… moving on. First off, thank you for being here! This blog venture has been in the work…
